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6/7/2014 - Walkers make their way through a portion of the 5k course memoralizing people who lost their lives to lung diseases during the Fight For Air Walk and Run, Saturday. Photo Andrew Krech
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ANDREW KRECH / THE CITIZENS’ VOICE Aiden Turner, 7, sprints through a sprinkler to cool off during the Fight For Air walk and run on Saturday.

The American Lung Association in Pennsylvania held its 12th annual Wilkes-Barre Fight for Air walk and 5K run at King’s College’s Betzler Fields on Saturday.

Donna Rey-Reifler, development director, was the person in charge of organizing this event.

“We do this annual walk to support lung health programs that we offer in the area, support groups, asthma camps, wellness programs and business,” Rey-Reifler said.

Rey-Reifler said the association also does free lung function testing throughout the area, including a recent event which tested hundreds of people at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“While we have been doing this event for 12 years, this is the first year we decided to include the 5k run as well,” Rey-Reifler said.

Walkers and runners of all ages came out to show their support for the American Lung Association. Children and adults alike ran through the sprinkler systems to cool off and were rewarded with an ice cream social afterwards.

“Many people come out to this event in memory of a loved one that they lost. They wear T-shirts proclaiming how they are doing this for their Nana. It’s supporting lifesaving research so we have a lot of involvement,” Reifler said.

Kathy Kurtas came to the event with her two daughters in support of her sister, whom she lost a month ago to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

“My sister died about a month ago. I lost my mother to COPD. I lost my brother to COPD so my daughters invited me out to do this for them,” Kurtas said.

Kurtas, a first-time walker at the event, said she’s doing this for a good cause.

“It’s my first time doing this so I’m doing it as a tribute to my family members I’ve lost. It will help to raise money which is necessary for research, to inform people to try to stop smoking, to help children suffering from asthma, people with lung cancer. It’s just all for a really great cause,” Kurtas said.

The American Lung Association also had a memorial wall up which displayed photos of walkers loved ones who have succumbed to lung related disease.

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